Authorities have urged local residents not to leave their homes after a cargo plane crashed in Greece. Toxic fumes apparently spread quickly.
Update from July 17, 12 noon: Toxic fumes had already raised the first suspicion, now it is certain: 11.5 tons of ammunition are said to have been on board the cargo plane that crashed in northern Greece on Saturday evening. This was confirmed by Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic on Sunday at a press conference in Belgrade, as reported by the Greek news agency ANA.
It is said to be ammunition for mortars produced in Serbia. The aircraft would therefore have had all the necessary permits for transport. The minister denied claims in the media that the Antonov was intended to transport weapons from Serbia to Ukraine.
The cargo was loaded at Nis Airport on Saturday evening, Stefanovic said. The plane then made its way to Bangladesh, scheduled stopovers were Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Over the northern Aegean, the pilot reported engine problems and requested an emergency landing. However, the machine did not make it to the nearest airport – it crashed in a field near two villages. Explosions could then be heard for hours, firefighters noticed a toxic, acrid smell and cordoned off the area.
Cargo plane crashed in Greece: Eight dead – Toxic fumes registered
Original notification from July 17, 2022: Kavala/Greece – All eight crew members died in the accident in Greece. After the crash of the cargo plane, however, the cargo is now also causing concern, according to the state broadcaster ERT , the Antonov An-12 is said to have had around twelve tons of “toxic goods” on board. The Ministry of Citizen Protection sent a corresponding warning SMS to the residents, they should close their windows and not leave their houses. The air conditioners should be turned off. Meanwhile, acrid fumes spread at the scene of the accident. It was not initially known what exactly the cargo was.
Cargo plane crashed in Greece: Eight dead – Toxic fumes registered
The Antonov was reportedly taking off from Nis, Serbia, and en route to Amman, Jordan, when the pilot reported an engine problem and requested an emergency landing at the airport in the city of Kavala. The flight tracker Flightradar24 showed how the plane changed course near the Chalkidiki peninsula over the North Aegean towards Kavala – but the crew couldn’t make it until then. The plane crashed in an uninhabited area near the villages of Paleochori and Antifilippi, less than 40 kilometers from Kalava.
As the dpa reports, local residents saw the crash of the machine, which is said to have already caught fire in the air. Several eyewitnesses filmed the crash in the middle of the night. First, a large contingent of fire brigades, ambulances and police arrived, but the rescue services soon withdrew. “Even though we wore masks, the air was unbearable. There was not only smoke, but also acrid fumes,” a firefighter told journalists. Two of his colleagues were taken to the hospital with respiratory problems.
Greece: Plane apparently had ‘toxic material’ on board – explosions heard in remains
The mayor of the affected municipality of Pangeo, Filippos Anastasiadis, confirmed that night that the machine had loaded “dangerous material”. It was probably ammunition, he told the state broadcaster ERT and assured that there were no chemical or nuclear warfare agents. The military is on the way to the scene of the accident.
For hours after the crash, explosions could be heard from the burning remains of the plane. The rubble of the Antonow is said to be spread within a radius of 800 meters, the area has been cordoned off over a large area. Experts said on television that terms such as “toxic goods” could mean many different things, ammunition, weapons, but also, for example, batteries for military purposes, which would also release toxic gases in a fire.
Just a few days ago, another tragedy took place in Greece, as there was a fire on the Greek holiday island of Samos. The fire was temporarily out of control. Then a firefighting helicopter crashed into the sea.
